


Solace

by faerierequiem



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-16
Updated: 2016-08-16
Packaged: 2018-08-09 03:00:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7784086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faerierequiem/pseuds/faerierequiem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>adansey + i found you crying in the toilets au</p>
            </blockquote>





	Solace

Adam Parrish avoided Aglionby bathrooms. The last time he had been in one it had cost him his shoes. He hadn’t realized the floors were flooded with toilet water until it was too late and for a week afterwards, his shoes had stunk. At least now that he _really_ had to go he knew better, first checking to see that the bathroom floors were dry and safe before stepping tentatively inside.

As Adam used one of the urinals, he realized that this bathroom wasn’t completely clean either. The smell of cigarettes lingered in the air and whoever the culprit was had opened the window in the corner. Rain had been threatening to pour all day, so Adam found it difficult to decide rather leaving a window opened was a smart decision or not.

He was startled by a loud boom of thunder from above. His eyes flickered towards the ceiling as he stepped back from the urinal. Biking to work in this weather was not something he would be looking forward to.

Adam turned to wash his hands. Just as he finished, the sound of someone sniffing caught his attention. He listened closely and heard a single, faint exhale. It trembled in a way that Adam recognized only occurred from crying.

The sounds had come from the direction of the stalls. The one on the furthest end, closest to the window, was the only stall with its door closed.

Adam hesitated. An Aglionby boy crying alone in a bathroom stall went against everything Aglionby boys represented: over-confident, obnoxious rich boys with loud mouths and careless smiles. Adam wasn’t sure this Aglionby boy would appreciate someone catching him in his moment of vulnerability, but Adam also couldn’t ignore him. It was common courtesy to make sure he was okay.

He walked to the stall and knocked at it once. “Hey. Are you alright in there?”

For a moment, everything went silent. Even the wind outside the window seemed to have stilled. Adam stared at the stall door, sure that in a second it would burst open and he would be punched in the face with a furiously spat out insult to go along with it.

But the door stayed closed.

A gust of wind blew in through the window, ruffling up Adam’s hair. He shifted on his feet, uncertain about what to do next. It didn’t appear like whoever it was inside the stall would be speaking to him anytime soon. He should just leave.

“Adam, is that you?”

At the careful tone of the voice, Adam’s eyes widened in recognition. “Gansey?”

There was a pause. “Yes. It’s me.”

Adam almost couldn’t comprehend it. Gansey. In a bathroom stall. Crying. Or had been at least, but the fact of the matter was that he'd cried. It was as if science had released a new concept that was undeniably true and correct, but was difficult to accept because it didn’t fit in with anything he had been taught and known.

He struggled to speak. “Are– Are you okay? What happened?”

“I’m okay. Nothing happened,” Gansey replied. “It was just a bee.” His voice was different now, less careful, more controlled, more assured, but Adam knew Gansey was only trying to downplay the situation to something not worth worrying about. And it didn’t work.

Adam gazed around the bathroom. “It wasn’t ‘just a bee’, Gansey. Where is it? I can kill it for you.”

“Adam, really, everything’s fine,” Gansey insisted, but Adam heard the way his voice shook slightly and his jaw clenched. “The bee flew out the window. I wasn’t stung. You don’t have to worry.”

 _Then why were you crying?_ Adam wondered, but he didn’t ask. He stepped closer to the stall door and thought of something to say, but Gansey beat him to it.

“Something similar to this happened before with Ronan,” Gansey said with an out-of-place laugh. “Except it was a wasp then–not that that matters though. It took him only seconds to understand what was going on and take action, while the whole time I stood there, unable to do anything and my mind filling with…” He trialed off. “…With delusions.”

“Gansey,” Adam started, softly.

“But I was calm this time,” Gansey continued, almost frantically. “The bee was buzzing above me and it was so close, but I could think properly. I felt perfectly fine. It was only afterwards when it flew out the window that I realized how pathetic it would have been if I had died like this, in a bathroom, without a proper farewell to you and everyone else, and it was so pathetic– _so, so_ pathetic. Or worse, what if I hadn’t died in the bathroom, but everyone saw that weak, terrible side of me and that was their last impression? How pathetic would that be? I–”

As Gansey spoke, his voice had gotten quieter and quieter that Adam had to press his good ear against the stall door to hear, but now he pulled away and firmly interrupted, “Gansey, there is nothing pathetic about you dying.”

Gansey went quiet. Again, Adam heard a trembling exhale that accompanied crying. Then, in a rush, Gansey said, “You’re right. You’re absolutely right. It just got to me. I’m sorry, Adam. I’m being irrational.”

“It’s okay,” Adam assured him. He leaned a shoulder against the door. He glanced down at his shoes, dark brown against the bathroom tiles.

Thunder rumbled, deep and piercing.

“Nice weather we’re having,” Adam remarked.

Gansey let out a little laugh.

The conversation came to a lull, a gap filled in only by the rushing of the wind.

“We should get to class,” Adam finally suggested. “I’m almost positive it started a while ago.”

“And I’m a hundred percent positive I don’t look ready to be attending classes,” Gansey said. “You should go on ahead.”

Adam shook his head, even though he was aware that Gansey wouldn’t be able to see him. “No.”

“Why not?”

“It wouldn’t feel right,” Adam said, scuffing the toe of his right shoe against the tiles. “I’d rather wait here for you.”

He waited for Gansey to answer, but Gansey didn’t speak. The wind came in through the window and coldly fell onto his shoulder, sending chills across his neck and back. He moved to close the window and turned back to see the stall door opening.

Gansey stepped out, looking slightly worn out, but dressed in his Aglionby uniform, he looked just as much Richard Campbell Gansey the Third as he always did. His eyes were a little bit red and he closed them. “I’m sorry you have to see me like this,” he said, almost grimacing.

“Don’t be,” Adam said. “Do you want to stay a bit longer?”

Gansey shook his head. “I can’t have you missing class because of me.”

Adam held his breath. With equal parts appreciation and equal parts affection, he leaned in and pressed a somewhat clumsy kiss to Gansey’s lips.

Gansey’s eyes opened in surprise. “Adam?”

A lame joke fell from Adam’s mouth before he could stop it. “That was a get better kiss.”

“I–” Gansey ran a thumb along his bottom lip, eyes wide. “Well, I honestly do feel better now. Thank you.”

Adam nodded, turning his face away in embarrassment. “No prob–”

Gansey kissed him on the cheek, stopping him. The kiss lingered for a few heartbeats, gentle and serene. When he pulled away, there was a smile on his face and Adam couldn't help but smile back.

**Author's Note:**

> If you tumblr, check out the fanfic here: http://faerielament.tumblr.com/post/120952004921/adansey-i-found-you-crying-in-the-toilets-au-x - and reblog/like!


End file.
